Two new associate VPs appointed

John Bollier and Jerry Warren will serve as the University’s new associate vice presidents for facilities operations and for construction and renovation, respectively, Yale Vice President of Finance and Administration John Pepper announced in an e-mail to University administrators Jan. 6.

The two new associate vice presidents will split the responsibilities held by former University Associate Vice President of Facilities Kemel Dawkins, who left in September 2003. Pepper said officials decided to divide the tasks into two jobs because of the amount of work justified creating an additional position. The two men will work closely together, Pepper said.

Bollier, who previously served as interim associate vice president for facilities and executive director of facilities development and operations at the Medical School, will assume his new responsibilities immediately. Warren, a senior project manager with Procter & Gamble who has been on loan to the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati for the past year, will begin his tenure at Yale Feb. 1.

“I feel just great about both of them,” Pepper said. “I think we got two great people in two very important posts.”

Pepper said both Bollier and Warren were the unanimous choices of the search committee. While Warren and Pepper worked together on the Freedom Center, Pepper said he did not “have any idea” Warren was interested in a job at Yale until Warren decided to apply.

Bollier said he wanted “bring a customer focus to facilities operation for the students and faculty.”

“We’re at a point where we understand the operations very well and I think we can really improve the performance,” Bollier said.

Pepper said Warren will be responsible for Yale’s major construction projects, including the remaining residential college and library renovations and the creation of four new science and engineering buildings. He will work closely with University Planner Pamela Delphenich.

Warren said he planned to act as a “practitioner manger,” taking a hands-on approach.

“I really like coaching and developing people,” he said.

The largest challenge with his new post, Warren said, will be managing both the marquee and smaller projects while making sure both receive a sufficient amount of attention.

He said he first became involved in the University’s facilities programs in September when he was brought in as a consultant.

Warren said he first became involved in the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center — an educational institution with the goal of using the themes and history of the Underground Railroad to inspire modern freedom movements — the same way. After he was brought to the center as a consultant, Warren was asked if he would be willing to work for them full-time under a Procter & Gamble program which loans executives to cultural projects.

Freedom Center Director of External Affairs Ernest Britton praised Warren’s leadership on the $80 million building project. He said that the Freedom’s Center’s chief executive officer had the final word, but “the buck stopped at Jerry [Warren].”

“He got in, rolled up his sleeves, and straightened up a lot of elements related to the budget,” Britton said.

But Warren also has a “warm demeanor that not only brings people around but makes them accountable,” Britton said.

Warren said he will use the month before he comes to Yale to help with the transition to a new project manager for the Freedom Center, which is scheduled to open this summer.

Bollier and Warren are not the only new faces on Yale’s administrative team. On Dec. 22, Pepper announced Janet Lindner and Robert Schwartz would serve as the associate vice presidents for administration and human resources, respectively.

Pepper said there are no additional associate vice president appointments planned.